Don't Bend It Like Butler! Gerard Was Like 'Bambi On Ice' Playing Soccer In New Movie!
Dec. 16 2012, Published 10:00 a.m. ET
By Jon Boon - RadarOnline.com Reporter
Gerard Butler may seem like a pro in his new soccer movie, Playing for Keeps, but RadarOnline.com has exclusively learned that he was less Cristiano Ronaldo, more like “Bambi on ice” while shooting the movie’s sporty scenes!
The beefy Scottish actor was helped by a number of ex-soccer players, including one Brazilian World Cup winner to improve his skills on the pitch -- something the 43-year-old actor had always previously been very proud of.
But, even after the coaching Butler still wasn’t up to scratch and a stunt double had to help him out on the pitch.
“When he initially took the movie on, Gerard was very proud of his soccer skills,” an on-set source told RadarOnline.com.
“But the truth is he’s just too muscular to be a really good soccer player and he looked a bit cumbersome on the pitch.
“There was a group of former soccer stars on set who had the task of training Gerard and improving his skills, but as hard as they tried, and as fit as Gerard is, his coordination with a ball left a lot to be desired.
“One former 1994 World Cup winner even called him Bambi on ice because he was prone to getting the ball stuck under his feet and falling over.
“It was left to a stunt double to really show off his skills and Gerard had to wait in the wings,” the source revealed.
Playing for Keeps, also starring Jessica Biel, tells the story of a former soccer star who’s fallen on hard times and starts coaching his son’s school team as he gets pursued by attractive soccer moms.
In its first week of release (December 7), it made a poor $6m and was universally panned by critics.
"Witless, unfocused, and arguably misogynistic, Playing for Keeps is a dispiriting, lowest-common-denominator Hollywood rom-com," Rotten Tomatoes website opined.
Gerard will be wondering what he has to do to catch a break – his last movie Chasing Mavericks was a major flop also.
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